When asked why she did not inquire further in response to Shim's and Farrelly's 2021 complaints, she responded by focusing on language from Shim's and Farrelly's 2021 complaints in which they asked how the NWSL would respond to Shim's initial or underlying 2015 complaint, which Levine said had already been investigated by outside lawyers and which she did not believe there was a basis for re-opening. Holly also verbally abused players and retaliated against those who raised complaints about him. Paulson's and Wilkinson's accounts of the information shared with the Flash are inconsistent with a document the Flash prepared for the Joint Investigative Team's review summarizing the club's vetting and hiring of Riley. According to Novo, after his conversation with ownership, he met with Holly and told him it was "time to move on." This includes harassment; sexual harassment; discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local laws; bullying; sexual misconduct, including the use of coercion, force, intimidation, or certain power imbalances; emotional misconduct; physical misconduct; and retaliation. The NWSLPA stated that it expected the League to cooperate with the NWSLPA's independent investigation. Covington and Weil (collectively, the "Joint Investigative Team) reviewed all reports indicating that a person in a position of power in the NWSL or one of its member clubs engaged in or facilitated inappropriate conduct towards NWSL players, including discrimination, harassment, sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, and retaliation related to such reports. As a result, Racing Louisville did not learn about Holly's mistreatment of Sky Blue players prior to his hiring. Please be assured that we will carefully and thoroughly investigate this matter." This former player said a few players were kind of being weirded out" by Dames's invitations, because they felt he was "always asking" them "to go get food" or to "hang out" with him. A few weeks later, on October 2, 2014, then-NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey shared a version of the USWNT players' comments with the Red Stars. Players from the team met with club owners Angie and Chris Long, and other club staff, to raise these concerns. Nearly every interviewee agreed that Clarkson was not adept at tailoring his coaching style to particular players' needs or reactions, and that he failed to recognize or appreciate when certain players did not respond well to his coaching style. Can Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga's hottest team, topple Bayern for the title? Things actually can be spoken up about, be brought to light." The staff member's account contradicts Predmore's claim that he was unaware of any issues with Benstiti until after Benstiti signed his contract on January 11, 2020. The USSF Dames Investigation surfaced several concerns about Dames, but those concerns were not appropriately investigated or addressed. At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR. On at least two occasions when Riley was recruited by the Flash and later when he was recruited by the Courage-the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL were not transparent with the recruiting club about the allegations and findings of misconduct against Riley in 2015. Kurtz came forward to the Courage and reported this misconduct. The club issued a public apology stating that it had "wrongly focused on signage policy and procedures, instead of allowing the important meaning of the message." Gulati also stated that U.S. Soccer relied on the League and the clubs to develop their own policies regarding misconduct, but he did not recall ever conveying to the clubs that they were responsible for setting up these policies. Levine told the HR employee not to worry about the email from Farrelly because a third party had already investigated the allegations and found no fault, and Riley had been hired by another club following the investigation. B. 4. Jill Ellis, then-Head Coach of the USWNT, was also emailed copies of certain player survey results. In addition to background checks, the NWSL should conduct reference checks for all prospective owners, coachesincluding volunteer coachesand club staff who may interact with players. c) Meetings in Hotel Rooms Examples of prohibited verbal conduct include epithets; derogatory comments or slurs; negative stereotyping; and jokes, kidding, or teasing about another person's protected status. During this meeting, Simon emphasized that she wanted to remain confidential, because she felt scared and unsafe. The erratic, emotional behaviors exhibited by these three coaches were repeatedly described by players as "cycles" of abuse. Another comment said that the "coach made this year horrible for most people" and expressed uncertainty that people would be honest in their survey responses "out of fear." Flynn did not recall sharing the details noted by Johnson; he only recalled telling Johnson to speak with individuals at the Thorns and to other club owners regarding Riley because others would know the results of the 2015 investigation. . Players also reported that club staff, including coaches, were unhelpful to players who experienced mental health challenges. One club staff member stated that Dames would give the team three days off, but would not inform them until the day before, leaving the team "stuck [and] not able to get out of Illinois. The staff member said, I don't know if that's him being controlling, but also noted that it felt like Dames didn't like people leaving market." 52, Simon recalled that Holly once brought her into a suite in the Racing Louisville stadium for a film session, even though she had tried to hold it in a public place. Williams reported that he had a good relationship with this player during the season. . Christy Holly engaged in sexual misconduct and made inappropriate sexual comments to players. She recalled Harrington commenting that some players had "good bodies but unattractive" faces, and he would refer to those players as "butterfaces" or "shrimpheads." The club ultimately elected to retain Riley as head coach, but this decision was similarly affected by the Thorns's, U.S. Soccer's, and the NWSL's lack of transparency about Riley's misconduct. Cromwell and Greene also expressed a desire to remove these players from the team. A volunteer who interacted with players at Racing Louisville, when asked whether she considered reporting Christy Holly's misconduct to SafeSport, said, No, and that's a great point. A player on another team recalled that when her team was divided into groups, an assistant coach commented that one of the groups of players was the prettiest and most attractive group. This prohibition extended to disclosures that would not identify Simon or that Simon approved. This phenomenon is not unique to this investigation or the NWSL: interpersonal misconduct, and particularly sexual misconduct, is generally underreported. Pauw appeared for but refused to cooperate in an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but she provided a written denial of what she suspected were the allegations against her, including a statement that she has never remarked on any player's appearance. One player said that after Holly learned she had experienced a personal loss, he encouraged her to meet with him late at night. However, Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that the club was not seriously pursuing Riley at the time and that he does not recall hearing anything bad" about Riley. These documents included organizational and policy documents related to the clubs, as well as documents related to specific reports of misconduct and subsequent investigations. Several Dash players expressed concerns with Clarkson serving as both coach and general manager, noting that players "[could not] talk to our general manager because he's our coach." The investigation found that Greene had engaged in conduct that gave the perception of favoritism and fraternization. She provided a written denial of what she suspected were the allegations against her, including a statement that she has never remarked on the appearance of a player or kept track of players' weight. A player for another club recalled that she had to take a break from the team to be with family due to anxiety, and when she returned, both her coach and the general manager informed her she would have to find her own housing because she had "made the choice" to go home temporarily due to mental health reasons. Other clubs in the NWSL pursued Riley after it became known that the Thorns would not retain him and in the absence of any public information indicating that he had been terminated for cause. Second, the Joint Investigative Team found no support for the Thorns's independent assertion that the 2015 investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment by Riley, an assertion which seemed to have emerged just after the 2015 Thorns Investigation. The anti-bullying, anti-harassment, anti-racism, and anti-retaliation trainings should remind players and staff of the reporting channels available to report misconduct, including law enforcement where appropriate. Despite receiving updates on the investigation, U.S. Soccer failed to follow up on evidence that suggested Riley may have had a more extensive relationship with Farrelly. Whether or not players specifically described this particular issue as significant, the report should have independently assessed the facts provided by the players. @sarahlgorden I'm so sorry for what happened to you & your loved ones. At the second club, the relationship between the staff member and the player allowed rumors to pass between management, staff, and players. 1. Recommendations.. Simon felt scared and physically intimidated. On December 5, 2022, Whisler announced that he would sell the Red Stars. A player expressed a similar concern, saying that she felt Holly made "decisions that weren't in the best interest of the team" because of his relationship. 70, Multiple players described an incident in which Clarkson was "out of line" and created a culture of fear and anxiety. Players and club staff also reported that Dames exercised control over players' social lives. Levine said after the player survey comments were shared with the club, the club moved Lines to a front office role. 75, Benstiti saying that he would replicate his "very strict monitoring and measuring [of Horan's] weight and what she's eating" with the club's players. And the report ties those biases to issues in the sport as a whole. Farrelly also emailed Baird and the NWSL HR Office email address in April 2021 setting forth serious allegations against Riley, including that she had experienced inappropriate conduct by Riley in addition to what she reported during the Thorns's 2015 investigation. Levine recalled that she reported to Flynn and Gulati during this time. Novo responded, "My answer is that Christy [Holly] has a very good and fair relationship with our players . The course description states that the course trains players to [i]dentify and navigate power imbalances (including coach/athlete relationships) that can play a role in sexual misconduct, [d]efine consent and understand relevant factors including age and impairment," "[r]espond and report appropriately (and legally) to abuse and its disclosure, and [u]nderstand barriers to reporting, and factors such as retaliation." The Joint Investigative Team contacted and attempted to interview every individual who was the subject of a report of misconduct and whom the Joint Investigative Team considered naming in this Report. During the lengthy investigation, players were given insufficient opportunity to speak to the investigator, and the investigator did not speak to any club staff members other than Dames. B. However, interviewees reported that Clarkson on occasion failed to recognize or appreciate his effect on players. One-on-one or small group socializing for non-soccer purposes between players and individuals with supervisory authority may blur the boundaries between professional and personal relationships, present concerns of improper favoritism, or leave certain players feeling isolated or excluded. Moreover, investigations into allegations of misconduct should not be limited to assessing whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. Because there was no requirement for clubs to consult former colleagues and players in the hiring process, clubs took an inconsistent approach and often collected only limited information about individuals' past conduct in the League, contributing to the issue of "recycling" individuals accused of misconduct into roles at other clubs. Shim told the Joint Investigative Team that it would be an easy thing for Riley to claim that her performance had decreased to justify the drop in playing time. The player told Predmore she understood. As discussed in further detail below, players have reported misconduct throughout the League's history. In another incident, players reported that Clarkson criticized an injured player. As detailed below, the Joint Investigative Team found widespread misconduct directed at NWSL players. There is no evidence that any additional investigative steps were taken between September 2019 and Wahlke's departure from U.S. Soccer the following year. The NWSL should consider engaging with the Black Women's Player Collective and players from other historically marginalized groups to understand how microaggressions or racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and other derogatory language may manifest in the NWSL environment and how the policy may be updated to address such issues. Players Experienced an Array of Interpersonal Misconduct, and Reports of That Misconduct Were Mishandled They represented the two Level Two . . The 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement introduced free agency for a subset of players that meet certain service requirements. The NWSLPA, in collaboration with a group of players, then drafted an anti-harassment policy and advocated for its adoption. U.S. Soccer's 2018 investigation into Dames's conduct surfaced several concerns about his interactions with players, but minimized the breadth and severity of these concerns and failed to protect players during the 16 months it took to complete the investigation. Beyond the Bottom Line is a podcast created by the Program on Entrepreneurship at the Yale School of Management, where we're educating founders for business and society. 108, 1. This is where the beer comes in. II. (1) Players were "aware that this league could go under. Levine, who was General Counsel of U.S. Soccer at the time, told the Joint Investigative Team that she recalled the comments about Lines were "very unfavorable." 34, another club following the 2015 investigation. In multiple investigations by the NWSL, no written report, summary, or other record of findings was prepared, and findings were not broadly shared. Malik recalled that after his conversation with Paulson, he asked Plush for the report but Plush declined, telling Malik that the issue was an HR matter and that Riley had been cleared. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team he thought it would be important to Malik that, from Paulson's perspective, the Thorns accurately announced that Riley's contract would expire at the end of the 2015 season. The report states that vague public statements contributed to the failure to adequately share information. Farrelly felt coerced into having sexual intercourse with Riley based on the dynamic between them and his control over her soccer career. "Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times from the earliest years of the league to the present," the report states, referencing instances of inappropriate sexual remarks to players by staff in positions of power, blurred professional boundaries, and manipulation. In at least one instance, a former player declined to participate in a prior investigation due to this fear. 1. This actually isn't okay. On August 15, 2019, Levine forwarded to Duffy the 2015 email in which the attorney retained by the Thorns in connection with the 2015 Thorns Investigation into Riley made the unexplained statement that the investigation revealed no "unlawful harassment" and to which the attorney had attached the Thorns's 2015 investigative report regarding Riley as well as supporting texts and emails. Riley was only one of several NWSL club personnel accused of misconduct in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Management Agreement explained that U.S. Soccer would "provide NWSL with all management, governance, operational, administrative, and advisory services. U.S. Soccer remained the manager of the NWSL until December 31, 2020. At the same time, The close timing between the March Investigation and the proposed player transactions creates a reasonable inference that the decisions were motivated in part by retaliation. Six years later, at the age of 31, LaHue is the general manager of the Red Stars, a team whose roster includes Olympians from Mexico, Canada, and last summer's gold medal-winning US team. The reasons for his departure were not shared publicly. During this meeting, Simon recalled Wilkins and her supervisor asked Simon to share as much detail as she was comfortable sharing about Holly's treatment of her, and they asked her to go from "start to finish." Insufficient Understanding of the Respective Roles of U.S. Soccer, the League, and Clubs in Investigating Misconduct While the player surveys asked players to rate the knowledge and skill set of certain club staff, including coaching staff, the surveys did not ask specific questions about any misconduct the players experienced or observed. Whisler informed Dames that waiving the player "the day after she raised an issue (if it was her)" would increase the risk of a claim of retaliation, and Dames responded, "Of course it was her . Individuals at the Courage learned of a prior investigation into Riley while at the Thorns and attempted to learn more, but neither the Thorns nor the NWSL provided them with the 2015 investigative report, and the Courage were given sparse and incomplete descriptions of Shim's allegations and the investigative findings against Riley. Cromwell and Greene may apply to the Commissioner for consideration only after they have successfully completed the mandatory training and coaching, acknowledged wrongdoing, and demonstrated a sincere commitment to modifying their behavior. However, Plush observed, Looking back, it is clear to me that no matter how many conversations I had with [the Flash] . Novo recalled that Holly denied a romantic relationship with Pearce Rampone. Sexual misconduct, as used in this Report, is a broad term intended to encompass a range of conduct, including conduct that could be described as sexual assault, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment. Eventually, she reported the staff member to her coach because she felt that the staff member was "crossing the line and making [her] uncomfortable." The NWSL should train all League and club staff designated to receive complaints and other club leaders, including coaches, on how to respond to complaints of misconduct and on investigative best practices. II. At the same time, certain behaviors that have been normalized as "tough" coaching, such as screaming in players' faces, are slowly but increasingly recognized as inappropriate and abusive. E. Players Lacked Effective Channels for Reporting Inappropriate Reis acknowledged encouraging players to speak with investigators, but she denied telling them what to say. According to the course description, this course trains medical staff on how to "[r]ecognize types and signs of abuse and misconduct, [c]reate safer, abusepreventative spaces and policies for training and treatment, [r]espond to abuse and disclosures and recognize barriers to reporting, [i]ncorporate a trauma-informed approach into [their] practice," "[s]afely reintegrate athletes who have been harmed back into sport," and "[c]reate and promote a culture that prioritizes athlete safety." First, many players were hesitant to share information with the Joint Investigative Team. In a public tweet the day of Holly's departure, the club wrote, "You were always an amazing asset to Sky Blue FC, and words cannot ever express how much we appreciate everything that you did for us."